Building siding structure



Jan. 4, 1966 s. c. HARTER 3,226,901

' BUILDING SIDING STRUCTURE Filed Oct. 123, 1961 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 20m22 rw INVENTOR. F I I SAMUEL CHESTER HARTER BY W4 M ATTORNEY Jan. 4,1966 s. c. HARTER 3,226,901

BUILDING SIDING STRUCTURE Filed Oct. 13, 1961 s Sheets- Sheet 2 FIG. 2FIG. 3

INVENTOR.

SAMUEL CHESTER HARTER BY ma 7% ATTORNEY Jan. 4, 1966 s. C. HARTER3,226,901

BUILDING SIDING STRUCTURE Filed oct. 13. 1961 s Sheets-Sheet s FIG. 7

INVENTOR.

5 AM U E L CHESTER HARTER BY W- a 2% AT TORN E Y States Patent 3,226,901BUILDING SIDING STRUCTURE Samuel Chester Harter, Mentone, Ind.Panel-Craft, Inc., Plymouth, Ind.) Filed Oct. 13, I961, Ser. Nan-144,892"2 Claims. (Cl. 52-520) The present invention relates to a buildingstructure and more particularly to a siding or wall structure forbuildings. a

Conventional metal siding is usually applied to the "sheeting of theexternal wall of a building by driving nailsat spaced intervals throughthe siding along a nailing strip into the sheeting. This method, thoughwidely used, has a number of inherent disadvantages in that the metalsiding is often dented by the nail or hammer, and the siding strip orsheet is often distorted by being made to conform to uneven sheetsurfaces. While holes may .be.provided for receiving the nails and thusminimize the amount of distortion from the nail piercing the metal,

Ithese holes frequently do not occur at the place along or ,on thesheeting best suited for receiving the nails. Further,holding the stripsofsheeting in place while starting and. driving the nails is oftendifficult and time consuming, and sometimes results in poor joints andirregularities. between the sheets or strips. tthe principal objects ofthe present invention to provide .a siding strip and fixture combinationwhich can be easily secured to irregular surfaces without the sheet orstrip .being distorted, and whichcan readily be secured to a supportingstructure having irregularly spaced supporting It is therefore one ofmembers.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fixture for applyingsiding to a wall structure which can easily be attached to the siding bymerely snapping it onto an edge of the strip, either in the. plantbefore shipment or on the construction site, and which can thereafter bereadily shifted along the siding edge to the required position forattachment to the supporting structure.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a flexiblefixture or hanger for metal siding for buildings, which allows thesiding to be mounted on warped or uneven walls without causing thesiding panel to follow the contour of the 'wall, and which is notdamaged by stray blows of the hammer during the mounting of the sidingpanel. on the wall surface.

Afurther object is to provide a fixture of the above type which slidesalong the length of the panel, and which allows the worker applying thepaneling to slide the panel along its length to the proper positionafter it is secured in place by the fixtures of the panel beneath it,and both before and after its own fixtures are nailed to the wall.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a lock-up typefixture for siding paneling which will fit several different designs ofmetal siding panels, and which may be readily applied to the paneling atthe building site without special tools or other apparatus.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fixture or hanger forsiding which is not damaged by weathering or aging, and which is simple,easily manufactured and applied, and readily replaced without specialtools.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become clearfrom the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the side of abuilding with siding panels being supported thereon by the presentfixture;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevational view of portionsof two siding panels with a fixture supporting one of them shown inbroken lines;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical cross section taken on line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

ice

FIGURE 4 is a front elevational view of the present fixture;

FIGURE 5 is a side elevational view of the fixture;

FIGURE 6 is a bottom view of the fixture; and

FIGURE 7 is a rear elevational view of the fixture.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, and to FIGURES 1 and 3 inparticular, 10 designates a portion of a lower siding panel supported bya fixture 12 on wall 14, the fixture being held to wall 14 by a nail 16or by other suitable means. An upper siding panel 18 is supported ininterlocked relation by fixture 12 andcarries fixtures 20 and 22 inpreparation forattachment to the wall. The details in construction ofsiding panels 10 and 18 are best shown in FIGURES 1 and 3, and consistof an upper inverted U-shaped portion 24 formed by the upper edge of thepanel and a downwardly extending marginal edge 26 joined to the upperedge of the panel by a curved portion 28. The lower edge of margin 26 isrolled to form a bead 30 extending the full length of the panel. It isnoted from FIGURE 3 that margin 26 is spaced from the edge portion 24 toform a groove 29 for receiving the lower edge of the panel thereabove.The lower portion of the panel or strip consists of a bottom 32 havingan upturned inner edge 34 extending upwardly into groove 29. In order toform a tight joint between the structure defining groove 29 and upturnedportion 34,

the portion preferably contains a curved area 36 near the edge thereofextending the full length of the panel. The siding structure shown inthese drawings is one of several possible forms that may be used withthe present fixture, the-fixture requiring only slight modification tobe utilized with other siding panels in common use.

Referring specifically to the fixture shown in detail in FIGURES 4through 7; the fixture consists of a generally rectangularly shaped bodyportion 40 having a hole 42 through the center portion thereof, and adownwardly extending clip 44 having a generally hook-like configurationfor snapping beneath flange 26 around bead 30. The clip consists of twodownwardly extending arms 50 and 52 connected adjacent their lower endsby a cross bar 54, the lower end of each arm and the cross bar beingturned upwardly to form the hook-like portion. The upper portion of clip44 contains a downwardly extending projection 56 and a curved innerportion 58,, following generally the contour of the curved portion 28 atthe upper edge of the panel siding. Projection 56 extends downwardlyover the rear side of the panel to the end in conjunction with theupturned edge of anms 50 and 52, and cross member 54 forms a clamp forembracing the upper marginal edge of the panel.

While any suitable material may be used in producing the presentfixture, it is preferably formed of flexible but relatively rigidmaterial, such as nylon, so that it can be distorted or flexed, bothduring the assembling operation in which the fixture is secured tomargin 26 and during the installing operation in. which body 40 issecured to the wall sheeting or other supporting structure. The bodyaround hole 42 is preferably reinforced by an annular ring 60 toeliminate any possibility of the fixture tearing or fracturing duringinstallation.

The fixture fits suificiently snugly onto margin or flange 26 so that itcan be assembled on the panel in the plant and will remain in assembledposition throughout the shipping and handling preparatory to theinstallation operation. Arms 5%) and 52, while relatively rigid, willflex sufficiently to permit the lower end thereof and cross member 54 tosnap beneath flange 26 and projection 56 behind the upper edge of thepanel as best illustrated in FIGURE 3. In order to facilitate a snug fitbetween clip portion 44- and flange 26, two ribs 62 and 64 are formed onthe inner surface of the two arms, as shown in FIGURES 5 and 7,

and are adapted to engage the upper edge of flange 26 and the outersurface of head 30.

One of the particular advantages of the present clip is the ease Withwhich the panel can be installed on the supporting structure without anydistortion of the panel and without any difliculty in retaining thepanel in place while it is being installed. As previously mentioned, thefixtures are preferably assembled on a strip of paneling before it isshipped from the plant, the panel preferably containing from two topossibly six clips spaced along the upper margin thereof, depending uponthe length of the panel. When the panel is to be installed, the clipsare slid longitudinally along flange 26 to the desired location, and thepanel is then placed in proper interlocking position with the paneltherebelow and one fixture then securely nailed in place. The remainingfixtures are then slid to the desired positions as determined by themembers of the supporting structure and thereafter securely nailed. Ifin the event the sheeting or other supporting structure is uneven orotherwise misaligned, the flexible fixture wil-l flex or distortsufiiciently to permit firm nailing thereof without causing anycorresponding distortion in the paneling.

While only one specific form of the present fixture has been describedin detail herein, various changes may be made to suit requirements. Forexample, a clip portion consisting of one solid downwardly extendingmember may be used in place of the two separate arms, and the hookportion may be modified to adapt it to various types of panelingstructure. Likewise, the body portion 40 may be of other shapes anddifierent lengths if desired.

I claim:

1. In combination with a siding panel having along one edge a flangeforming an inwardly facing groove on the front side of the panel andhaving a bead at its inner edge and along the opposite edge a flange onthe rear side o the panel with a longitudinal rib thereon for seatinginto said groove and forming a joint with the adjacent panel: a fixtureof nylon for securing a panel to a supporting structure, comprising aclip embracing said first mentioned flange and having two spacedparallel arms with inwardly curved ends, a cross bar connecting saidcurved ends, projections on the inner side of said arms engaging thefirst mentioned flange, a body portion integrally joined to said clipextending beyond the respective edge of the panel and having a holetherein for receiving a nail, and a member extending from said bodyinwardly toward the ends of said arms embracing the respective edge ofthe panel on the side thereof opposite said clip.

2. In combination with a panel having along one edge a flange forming aninwardly facing groove on the front side of the panel and along theopposite edge a flange on the rear side of the panel for seating intosaid groove and forming a joint with the adjacent panel: a fixture ofnylon for securing a panel to a supporting structure, comprising a clipengaging said first mentioned flange and having two spaced parallel armswith inwardly curved ends, a cross bar connecting said curved ends,projections on the inner side of said arms engaging the first mentionedflange, a body portion integrally joined to said clip extending beyondthe respective edge of the panel, and a member extending from said bodyinwardly toward the ends of said arms embracing the respective edge ofthe panel on the side thereof opposite said clip.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,039,401 9/1912Hoffman 50229 1,504,802 8/1924 Wolf 24230.5 1,582,442 4/1926 White813.46 2,126,676 8/1938 Thomas 50-245 X 2,320,003 5/1943 Madan.2,513,256 6/1950 Sonnen'burg 24-2305 2,646,705 7/1953 Belpedio 81-3.462,740,166 4/1956 Siering 50-242 X 2,754,582 7/1956 Klok 813.46 2,766,86110/1956 Abramson 50245 X 2,820,535 1/1958 Hutchinson 502l8 2,896,2717/1959 Kloote et al. 50268 X FOREIGN PATENTS 16,190 1893 Great Britain.

EARL J. W ITMER, Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM I. MUSHAKE, Examiner.

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A SIDING PANEL HAVING ALONG ONE EDGE A FLANGEFORMING AN INWARDLY FACING GROOVE ON THE FRONT SIDE OF THE PANEL ANDHAVING A BEAD AT ITS INNER EDGE AND ALONG THE OPPOSITE EDGE A FLANGE ONTHE REAR SIDE OF THE PANEL WITH A LONGITUDINAL RIB THEREON FOR SEATINGINTO SAID GROOVE AND FORMING A JOINT WITH THE ADJACENT PANEL: A FIXTUREOF NYLON FOR SECURING A PANEL TO A SUPPORTING STRUCTURE, COMPRISING ACLIP EMBRACING SAID FIRST MEMTIONED FLANGE AND HAVING TWO SPACEDPARALLEL ARMS WITH INWARDLY CURVED ENDS, A CROSS BAR CONNECTING SAIDCURVED ENDS, PROJECTIONS ON THE INNER SIDE OF SAID ARMS ENGAGING THEFIRST MENTIONED FLANGE, A BODY PORTION INTEGRALLY JOINED TO SAID CLIPEXTENDING BEYOND THE RESPECTIVE EDGE OF THE PANEL AND HAVING A HOLETHEREIN FOR RECEIVING A NAIL, AND A MEMBER EXTENDING FROM SAID BODYINWARDLY TOWARD THE ENDS OF SAID ARMS EMBRACING THE RESPECTIVE EDGE OFTHE PANEL ON THE SIDE THEREOF OPPOSITE SAID CLIP.